Stranded
by LN8866
Summary: The team is stuck in Panama.
1. Chapter 1

Sam took the first watch in the abandoned building the team took refuge in for the moment. He always liked the first watch. Everyone else was getting ready for bed, so it was a little noisy and he knew he wouldn't fall asleep right away. Eventually the sounds of people getting comfortable in their makeshift bedrooms gave way to silence that was peppered with snoring. Sam had no idea what time it was when Michael came out.

"Hey, I thought you and Fi were sleeping?"

Michael leaned against a window pane, being careful to stay out of sight of anyone who might be outside. He spoke in such a detached voice that Sam began to worry. "We had some time together but she couldn't stay awake and I didn't want to keep her up. She's been through so much lately, she needs the rest."

"You need rest too Mikey. Some of the things you guys went through were different, but you are just as exhausted as her. You should try to sleep." Sam advised Michael.

Michael shook his head. He looked at the ground and kicked a piece of debris that was in front of him. "I can't sleep. I can't shut anything down in my head."

Sam stood next to Michael, leaning on the same old rotting window pane Michael was leaning against. "We'll get back to Miami and we'll get Card. Everything will be ok. You'll see."

Again, Michael shook his head. He didn't believe Sam. "We have nothing here in Panama. I don't know how we are getting home. Once we get home, how are we going to get to Card without every agency and cop in area coming after us? I don't see a way out of this Sam."

"Hang on now, we've been in worse situations than this before where it looked like we weren't getting out alive, but we always did. You know that just because we don't have a plan at three in the morning, doesn't mean one of us won't have a plan at six in the morning." Sam said in a raised voice, pointing a finger at Michael. He hoped his point was making its way into MIchael's brain.

Michael let out a long, drawn out sigh. He leaned his head against the windowpane and shut his eyes. Sam studied his features carefully. He didn't realize how tired Michael looked, the darkness under his eyes and how thin his face looked. It wasn't just the current twist of events that had exhausted his friend. Sam knew something else was eating him. He knew Michael long enough to know that he wouldn't rest properly until his mind was empty. Sometimes getting him to talk was an easy task, while other times it was worse than pulling teeth.

Sam and Michael stood against the window frame for nearly an hour without saying anything. Jesse woke up and joined the men. "Sam, I'm good for the next shift. Is Mike ok?"

Keeping his eyes closed, Michael answered, "I'm fine Jesse. Can't sleep so I came out here."

Jesse looked at Sam, who just shook his head. "Mikey, lets walk." Sam said as he took Michael's arm. "Jesse, we'll walk around the perimeter and then we'll come inside." Sam shouted over his shoulder.

As they walked along the outside of their temporary home, nothing was said. Michael walked in front of Sam, with his hands in his pockets and his head hung low. Sam was half paying attention to the surroundings and the other half to Michael's body language. By the time they walked all the way around the building, Sam figured he was either beating himself up over something or felt guilty. It was more than just their current situation though, but Sam didn't know how to get the words out of Michael.

Back inside the building, Sam and Michael sat against the wall, just out of sight of Jesse. Reaching over Sam covered Michael's hand with his own and squeezed. "Whatever is bothering you, you don't have to tell me, but I just want you to know I'm here if you need someone to listen."

"Thanks."

"You need to tell someone. Its drawing your attention away from our problems. If you don't want to tell me, tell Fi, Jesse, or find a tree to talk to but you have to tell someone. Something is bothering you and you can't focus until its off your chest."

Sam got up and started to walk away. He turned around when he heard Michael talking. "Sam, I can't tell anyone what's wrong because then you will all see me as not being strong. I am not weak and this is my mess that I have to fix. Whatever she said hurt as much or even more than she wanted and I have to just push it out of my head. I'll deal with it later. I'll be fine by the time the sun rises."

"That's a bunch of bull Mikey and you know it. We all know you are strong and...wait...you said 'whatever she said hurt'...who is 'she'?"

Michael was quiet. He turned his head so Sam couldn't see his face. Sam repeated the question, but louder this time. "Who is 'she' and what did she say to you?"

Michael stood up and began to walk away. Sam stormed after Michael, grabbing his arm and turning him around. "What do you want me to say Sam?"

Sam wouldn't let go of Michael's arm. He gripped it tighter, so Michael wouldn't run off. "I want you to tell me the truth Mike. Who said something? Fiona? Your mom?"

Michael freed his arm from Sam's grip. He pushed Sam backwards with all his might. Sam stumbled but didn't fall. Michael yelled at him "Leave Fiona out of this. This has nothing to do with her."

Sam rushed to Michael and pushed him back. He knew that sometimes Michael just needed to have a knockdown drag-out fight with him. This was one of those times. Sam decided he needed to push michael over the edge. "Do not walk away from me boy!"

Sam braced himself. He knew using ' boy' at the end of a sentence was a sure way to get Michael to react. Michael came running towards Sam, hitting him repeatedly with his fists. Sam did his best to block Michael's blows, which landed mainly on his torso. Occasionally Sam would throw a punch just to create space between them and give Sam a second to get a clean breath without being punched. "Come on Mike! That's all you got?" taunted Sam.

"You want more?" Michael screamed as he lowered himself and ran into Sam with all of his might.

Sam fell backwards, with Michael landing on top of him. Michael landed several punches before Sam pushed him off, making Michael land next to him. Sam climbed on top of Michael and pinned his shoulders to the ground so he could not swing at Sam. "This is over Mike."

Michael tried to knock Sam off of him, but failed. Instead he laid his head on the ground, closed his eyes and said "If its over, then take Jesse and Fi and get the hell out of here. Protect them because I'm just going to get you all killed in the end, just like I got Nate killed."

Sam let go of Michael and sat down next to him. "Sometimes I don't know where you get these thoughts. You did not get Nate killed. It wasn't your fault. Jesse told me what happened. He told me that you clearly told Nate to watch Anson and not approach him. Nate didn't listen and now Nate is dead. You couldn't have protected him more than you already had so stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault."

Michael didn't believe Sam. "It's my fault Fi went to jail, Nate died, we ended up in Panama and it's my fault Card tried to kill all of us. Most importantly, it's my fault my mother hates me. It won't be long before you all hate me."

"When are you going to realize that we don't hate you. You burned Jesse but he's still here fighting alongside you. You and I have been friends since we met in Poland and you know we've faced worse than this before. Don't forget about that Fiona, because she went to jail to save you. She was willing to stay there for the rest of her life if it meant you were free from Anson. So don't tell me we all hate you because we are all still here with you. If Maddie hates you, that's her business." Sam was trying his hardest to make Michael understand that he wasn't as bad of a person as Maddie made him think.

Rubbing his face, Michael shot back at Sam "You didn't her face when I was there. You didn't see me try to reach out for her, to get some kind of reassurance or comfort and she just pulled away from me like I was a monster."

Pulling Michael to his feet, Sam spoke softly to Michael. "You aren't a monster, Brother."

Sam knew Michael needed someone else now. "Did you tell Fiona you went to see Maddie?"

Michael frowned and shook his head. "There wasn't enough time and I just wanted to focus on getting to Panama."

"Well, I know there's an Irish lady in your bed who I'm sure misses you and can make things better if you tell her what's going on." Sam hinted, with a smile in his eyes.

"I'm going to bed. You ok? I didn't..." Michael started to say before Sam cut him off.

"I might be old, but I'm a lot stronger than you think. Get some rest." Sam said, as Michael walked away towards the room he shared with Fiona.

Climbing into bed, Michael tried not to wake Fiona, but he saw her eyes open. "Where were you? I woke up before but you weren't here." she said in a sleepy whisper as she pressed herself against Michael's body. Her legs snaked their way between his and she nuzzled her head under his chin. Fiona placed her free arm between them, resting her hand against his heart. She liked to place her hand there as she always told him it made her feel more connected to him. Michael slid an arm under Fiona and pulled her as close to him as he could. As he held her tight, Fiona let out several soft contented purrs. Fiona mumbled something that Michael couldn't understand, which was followed by several gentle kisses to his upper chest and throat.

Fiona reached up to touch Michael's face, but quickly pulled her hand back and pushed herself away from him when she felt wetness on his face. "Michael, what's wrong?"

Michael tried to quickly wipe his eyes, but tears were falling faster and faster. He tried to speak but he couldn't. Fiona slid upwards and pulled Michael against her chest, holding him tight. He held her so tight she had trouble breathing. As he tried to muffle his cries with her chest, She gently rocked him and kissed his head. Over and over again Fiona whispered "It's ok, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Her voice always showed her Irish lilt when she whispered softly during these moments of comfort and love.

Once he gained his composure, he tried to move away from Fiona. She only loosened her grasp on him slightly so she could see his face. Seeing the dirt and scrapes on his face, Fiona exclaimed "Oh Michael" and without questioning him, she placed tiny kisses on his face where he was hurt.

Fiona positioned herself so she could rest her forehead against his. As he looked into her eyes, he questioned "How can you love me?"

Sighing, Fiona threaded her fingers through Michael's hair. She whispered "How could I not love you? I love you because you love me."

Michael asked another question of Fiona. His voice barely a whisper "After everything I've done to you, why do you stay? I'm not deserving of your love."

Fiona's heart broke for Michael. Explaining in a slow, soft voice she said "Michael, my heart is yours unconditionally. I love you no matter what. Even if you were to do something that absolutely broke my heart, I am still going to love you. Even when Card made you leave me in Ireland, I wanted to kill you because I hurt so bad but I still loved you with all my heart.'

Michael's eyes widened. "How did you know? Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

Fiona sat up, looked at Michael and said "It doesn't matter." He sat up as well, so he was facing Fiona. "You have gone through so much lately and I didn't want to lay anymore guilt upon you, so I didn't say anything. It doesn't matter. What matters is that we are here together."

Fiona looked around the large room where they had locked themselves inside, focusing her eyes on the heavy wooden door shielding them in their most intimate and vulnerable moments, and said "I have admit that when Card told me you didn't want to leave, I felt terrible. If I had known that, I wouldn't have pushed you away so much, I wouldn't have dated Campbell and I wouldn't have tried to go back to Ireland." As she looked at Michael and tried to blink away the tears that came to her eyes. "I hurt you so much when I came to Miami and I'm sorry."

Michael, seeing the tears in Fiona's eyes, reached out slowly to take her hand. He expected her to pull away from him, but instead she let him take hold of her hand and pulled his hand up to her lips and gave it a kiss. Fiona noticed that his jaw was tightly clenched and he was frowning. He looked at the window, which was beginning to hint that daylight would be upon them.

When Michael looked back at Fiona, she lost her breath for a moment. He looked absolutely tortured. He spoke but his voice was deeper and his words were stilted. "You didn't pull away from me when I took your hand. You let me take your hand and you held on to me." Michael's breaths were turning into gasps. Fiona enclosed Michael in his arms and pulled him back down onto the bed with her, this time wrapping her legs around him. His fingers played with a lock of hair that laid across her neck. Michael's demeanor reminded Fiona of a little boy seeking solace. When he spoke, his voice trembled "Fi, she wouldn't even look at me. She wouldn't even let me touch her. I reached out for her and she pulled away."

Fiona's temper flared. Her voice began to get louder. "She was wrong to do that. I swear if I ever get back to Miami, the first place I am going is to her house and tell her a thing or two about taking care of you because she should know that your heart is broken because of this just as much as hers and no matter how angry she is you shouldn't be denied..."

She would have continued but Michael placed a hand on the back of her head, entangling her hair with his fingers, and drew her into a deep slow kiss. Michael ended the kiss but followed it by a succession of smaller soft kisses on Fiona's lips. In between kisses, he said "I know its been a hard year and it's probably just going to get worse, but don't leave me. No matter what I say or do, don't leave. I've come so close to losing you before that I'm scared that the next time will be forever. Promise me you won't leave. Whatever happens remember that I've always have and always will love you." Fiona kissed Michael in return, whispering soft words of love and promises to never leave him.

As the sun poured in through the windows of their current home, Michael slept soundly in Fiona's arms. During her waking moments, her nails gently dragged across his back, eliciting soft sighs from Michael. Fiona had no idea what time it was, but she figured it had to be at least past eight in the morning. Giving Michael a gentle hug, she closed her eyes again.

Outside of the room, Sam noticed Jesse getting ready to end his watch and preparing to knock and Michael's door, Sam, who was looking at some maps, ran up to Jesse and grabbed his arm. "Let them rest. We'll give them a few hours alone. Mikey needs it. You get rest and I'll stand watch."

"What about getting out of Panama?" Jesse questioned.  
Sam shook his head and said "We need to wait until Mikey comes out and helps us with a plan. Until then we defend where we are. Get some rest and I'll wake you when something happens."

Jesse walked off to his room, leaving Sam alone. Sam whispered to himself as he began to scan the outside for invaders. "Mikey, I hope you come out soon because I have absolutely no plan."****


	2. Chapter 2

Michael tried to move away from Fiona, who he thought was still asleep, but was surprised when Fiona's arms reached out for him. Instead of getting out of bed, like he had planned, Michael took Fiona into his arms, holding her close and kissing her lips.

"Where were you going?" Fiona asked in between kisses. Michael didn't answer. Instead he rolled Fiona onto her back.

While laying on top of her, he kissed her passionately. He gathered both of her wrists in his large hand and pinned them above her head. Looking into her eyes, he tried to convey what he wanted at that moment from Fiona. She stared back and knew exactly what he wanted from her. He wanted and needed complete control over Fiona. She nodded and let him dominate her, knowing this would make him feel better. She first experienced a dominant Michael in Ireland after a job went horribly bad and most of the group he was working with was killed. He came home incredibly shaken and near tears over the loss of life as out of a team of ten only Michael and another man survived.. A few other times in Miami he took the upper hand in the bedroom whenever he was feeling lost and scattered. Fiona found that if he felt he had control over her, he was able to better calculate what he needed to do next.

Michael's method of domination didn't involve inflicting pain, instead he would make her insane with desire but never letting her reach her total bliss until that last possible moment. He enjoyed hearing her beg for release and seeing her writhe beneath him. It wasn't Fiona's prefered style of lovemaking, as she prefered a more give and take method, but she knew this was the best way to make Michael feel like he was a capable and complete man and not the broken shell he thought he was.

After Michael and Fiona tumbled over the edge of oblivion together, he released her hands and with a shaking hand brushed the hair from her face. "You ok?" Michael asked, kissing Fiona's eyes, which were still closed as she floated back to reality.

Fiona nodded and reached up to touch Michael's face. "As long as I'm with you, I'm fine. How are you?"

"Better" Michael said. He continued to kiss and caress Fiona, giving her his full attention, something she hadn't had since getting out of jail.

He kissed Fiona gently on the head and rolled off of her while still holding her in his arms. Resting his forehead against hers, he said in a soft voice "This is it Fi, this is what I want. I want this moment to last forever. You and I together, like we are in the room, until the end of time. You make me feel so safe and strong. You and your love are the only things I am sure about right now." After giving her a kiss that was full of passion and desire, he whispered "Thank you for taking care of me."

Fiona pulled back a little and looked into MIchael's eyes. "You are my family Michael and that's what we do. We take care of one another. We will always take care of one another." Fiona placed a chaste kiss on Michael's lips. "I want to stay here too but we have to get going."

Continuing to speak in a hushed tone Michael said, "I don't know what to do now Fi. I don't know how to get out of Panama. I don't know how to fight against Card." Letting go of Fiona, he sat up in bed and continued, "He trained me, he knows all the moves I will make because he taught them to me. We have no money and we have no contacts. I can't keep you safe and I can't lose you again. I need you by my side. You make me stronger and keep me sane. I'm scared of what will happen once we step outside that door."

Climbing into Michael's lap, she took his face in her hands she forced him to look at her. "You are Michael Westen and you are the most fearless and bravest person I know. You brought down the people responsible for burning you while helping people who came to you when they had nowhere else to turn. You got me out of the federal jail and you found the man that was responsible for killing Nate. You have no idea what you have accomplished in your life. When we go out there, we have no room for fear. You feel afraid or out of control, you grab on to me. I am not going anywhere and I swear I will be fine. We wont be separated like that again."

Releasing her hands from Michael's face, Fiona climbed out of bed and got dressed. As she spoke she slipped her feet into her shoes. Michael watched her pull her hair into a bun as he began to get dressed. She continued her speech as she dressed. "We have to go out there. You have to focus on getting out of Panama, getting back home to Miami and bringing Tom Card to justice. That son of a bitch needs to be punished. Let's get out there and come up with a plan."

Michael, feeling energized by Fiona's passionate speech, finished dressing and walked out the door. Fiona smiled to herself as she heard Michael's voice booming through the building they were utilizing. Her time alone with Michael was enough to give him release from his grief and stress while at the same time giving him back his sense of control.

"Guys, we have to get out of here. Card's men will find us by nightfall if we stay longer. What do we know so far about where we are?" Michael asked. Fiona stood next to him. As he listened to Jesse explain to Michael the next round of traveling, Sam noticed Michael reached out for Fiona's hand, pulling her right next to him.

"Mikey, I need to show Fiona some weapons I found in the basement. Maybe we can figure out a way to arm ourselves while you and Jesse look at maps." Sam said.

Michael gave Fiona a panicked look. Sam and Jesse both saw his face change when Sam mentioned separating from Fiona. Fiona, sensing Michael's trepidation, reached her hand to his face and simply said softly "You'll be fine. Focus on the maps and I'll be back before you know it." Michael nodded and turned his attention to the maps, like Fiona had instructed.

As Fiona and Sam walked down the stairs to the basement, he told Fiona, "I saw him reach for you and give you that look when I wanted you to come to the basement with me. Level with me, how is he? I have to know if he's able to be part of the team or is he a mess?"

Fiona watched as Sam opened the basement door. "He's ok Sam. He might need a little extra reassurance and bolstering but he'll be able to work. Apparently he saw his mother before we left and she said hateful words and rejected him again. He started to believe that he was a monster and he'd just get us all killed. I built him up as much as I could but she's done so much damage to his mind since Nate's death. If you see him falter or doubt himself, just remind him how good he really is in these situations and we are a team no matter what."

Sam and Fi picked through supplies that were in the basement, trying to figure out what could be carried easily and used quickly if needed. As Sam dug through a tool box, he said quietly to Fiona "You know, I'm glad you are here with us. I know Jesse and I couldn't handle Mikey without you. Mikey will yell and be aggressive towards me when he's really hurting, but he'll unload to you all the stuff he locks away inside of him."

Fiona smiled to herself and said "We've come a long way haven't we Sam? When I first saw you in Michael's loft all those years ago, I wanted to kill you. Now you are like a brother to me and I don't know what I'd do without you."

Sam felt a lump rise in his throat. He felt the same way about Fiona but never knew how to express it to her. The only words he could get out of his mouth without losing his composure were "Same here Fi."

As they continued to look around the basement for weapons and supplies, Jesse and Michael were upstairs looking at maps. Using binoculars to get better feel for the land that surrounded them, Michael tried to figure the best route to a more populated area where they could steal a car. While he scanned the land, Jesse highlighted several routes they could take. "Hey Mike, you doing ok with everything? You seemed kind of off last night."

Michael continued looking out the window. "I'm fine Jesse."

"Ok. I just want to let you know that I have your back. Anything you need, I'm here for you." Jesse said, hoping Michael understood that he meant he really was there for Michael no matter what.

"Thanks Jesse. Just hearing that means a lot to me."

Fiona and Sam came up back upstairs and set down the supplies and weapons they took from the basement. "I'm not sure how well these guns will work. They were in a box in the basement. They didn't look damaged but we won't know for sure until we load and use them." Fiona said.

"I found some ammo, some thin steel pipes, tools and some knives that were tucked away. Whoever was here last seems like they left in a hurry. There's more guns and ammo but we don't want to be weighed down. This should get us to the next place we spend the night at." Sam said.

Fiona walked up to Michael who was looking out the window again. "Where are we spending the night? I'm the only one who isn't in the loop on this plan."

Taking Fiona's hand, he pointed out the window in the general area he wanted Fiona to look. "There's another building that we can reach by nightfall. I've been watching it for most of the day and I haven't seen much movement on the inside or outside. We stop there. In the morning, we need to steal a car and start driving. On foot we are that much easier to catch."

Fiona took the binoculars from Michael and looked out the window. While Michael was explaining the route they would take, Jesse and Sam began to pack up their supplies. Sam said quietly to Jesse, "How was he when you guys were looking at the maps? Everything went ok?"

Jesse nodded. "He was a little quiet. I asked if he was ok because he seemed 'off' last night, but he said he was fine. Told him I have his back. Otherwise we looked at the maps and used the binoculars to check the lay of the land."

Sam was relieved. "Good. We have to have his back on this one, even more than usual. We also have to make sure he's acting rationally. I have a bad feeling he might fly off the handle at the worst time, so let's keep watching him and make sure that doesn't happen. I'm not in the mood to die in Panama so let's get going."

The team left their lodging and heading through the jungles of Panama, hoping to find a way home.****


	3. Chapter 3

Virgil was never one to make speeches. In fact, he hated them. On this day though, he wanted to make a speech that was befitting of his best friend Sam Axe. He regaled the group at Sam's memorial with a speech that was heartfelt and funny. He was relieved that people laughed when they were supposed to and not end up in tears. After his speech was over and the service ended, Virgil made his way over to some friends of Sam's from the Navy. As he was talking, he felt a hand on his shoulder and a soft voice call his name.

"Virgil?" the woman said.

Virgil turned around and was surprised. "Maddie! I didn't think you'd come. I called several times after I heard, but wasn't sure you got the messages." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight hug. "How are you doing? I'm so sorry I couldn't get here for Michael and Fiona's service, but I had some things I couldn't get away from."

Maddie nodded, wiping her eyes with a tissue. "Thank you. I got the messages. I just wasn't calling anyone back. I'm trying my best to get along." Maddie said, breaking into a soft sob. The group of people that that he was talking to before Maddie arrived had now disbanded, giving them some privacy.

Virgil gave her another hug. "I'm glad you came but you've seen enough sadness lately and I don't want you to see anymore, lets get you out of here. I'm going to follow you home and we'll talk more there."

Madeline nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes as she walked out of the funeral home where Sam's memorial service had been held. When they arrived home, Virgil was shocked by the disarray of Madeline's normally orderly home. Newspapers and photo albums covered the dining room table, the dishes in the sink had not been washed in sometime and the stale smell of cigarette smoke was overwhelming. Opening up the windows, Virgil said "Let's get some sunlight and fresh air in here. I want you to sit down on the couch and I'll get you a drink."

"Bourbon is on the counter and you'll find two clean glasses on the drying rack." Maddie yelled as she sat on the couch. When Virgil came into the living room with two cans of soda, Madeline said "I told you where the bourbon was. Should I get it?"

As Madeline moved towards the kitchen, Virgil grabbed her arm and gently guided her back to the couch. "As much as we like to drink, I think it'd be wise we have soda instead." As they sat there in silence for what felt like hours, Virgil finally asked "You should have called me when Nate passed away. I could have come and helped you and Mikey. Sam told me a little of what happened but he was going a hundred miles a minute and I couldn't understand everything he was throwing at me. Tell me how Nate died."

Tearfully, Maddie explained the situation. "Michael needed to chase down the bastard who was controlling him and Fiona. Sam wasn't allowed to help this time, so Michael took Nate on the mission, as part of his team. I thought it was just going to be one of their easy little jobs. Nate caught Anson and brought him out to Michael. Then someone shot Anson and Nate. He shouldn't have been on the mission with Michael. Michael knew he wasn't trained for such a big job but he still took him."

"What the hell happened after that Maddie? Why did they all go to Panama? I've heard chatter that they were chasing Nate's killer. Any truth to that?"

Maddie began to shake and cry. Moving next to her, Virgil put his around around Madeline to comfort her. "I was so mean to Michael when he said he was going to Panama. He was so sorry and all I could do was lay the blame on him. All I could think of was that I wanted to hurt him anyway that I could. Michael took my baby from me. He tried to reach out and grab my hand. I pulled it away. I just couldn't bear to look at him, hear his voice or even feel his touch. When I pulled away, he looked like such a little boy. He even called me 'Mama'. Do you know when he last called me that? He was twenty-three and wounded overseas in some mission. He called me from the hospital. He was in such pain and he had an infection from his wound." Maddie looked at Virgil and sobbed harder. "My son is dead because of me."

Virgil held Maddie as she wept. When she couldn't cry anymore, Virgil made her take a sip of soda and rubbed her back. "Maddie, I know this hurts to talk about, but I need to know why my friends are dead. Why did all of them go to Panama? If Mikey was working this mission with the CIA, why did Sam, Fiona and Jesse go with him?"

"Tom Card sent Michael and the others because they knew the most about the case."

Feeling his blood begin to boil, Virgil repeated what Maddie said. "Tom Card sent them? That lousy son of a bitch got them killed."

"Tom Card is a good man. He said he loved Michael as if he was his own son. He let me look at the case file about Nate's death. I don't know what you have against him..."

Virgil interrupted Maddie. He stood up and began to pace back and forth in the living room as he spoke. "No he wasn't. Sam did not like Card. He worked with him recently and the first thing he did was complain about Card. He did not trust him one bit."

"Sam was wrong about Card. Sometimes people are wrong."

"I know I'm not. Card got them killed. Think about it Maddie. In any agency, even the local police, if you are personally and emotionally attached to a case, they pull you from it and you are benched. Why wasn't Michael pulled?"

Madeline shrugged her shoulders. "I thought it was because Michael knew the most about the situation."

"Ok, fine. If Michael knew the most about the case, under normal circumstances, he would not have been allowed anywhere near the killer. If he was still going to run the op, he would have run it from Miami or Langley, so he wouldn't have any contact with Nate's killer." Virgil reasoned, hoping Maddie was considering what he was saying.

Madeline heard enough. "Get out Virgil. Just get out of my house. You can't come in here, comfort me and then tear apart Michael's mission. He was trying to gain back his honor, my approval and avenge his brother's death. It sounds like you are saying it was part of a conspiracy to send them down there. Just leave!" she screamed as she pushed Virgil out the front door.

Standing on the front porch, Virgil yelled "You know I'm right Maddie. I'll leave my cell phone number in your mailbox if you want to talk more. I'll be in town for a few more days."

Virgil spent the next few hours at Carlito's. Partly to celebrate Sam's memory and partly to be close by if Madeline needed him. As he sipped his Mojito, he said out loud to no one in particular "Sammy, I don't know how the hell you could stand such a girly drink. Here's to you brother."

"I wouldn't toast to Sam Axe's memory just yet." a tall man, dressed in a suit said to Virgil. In a low voice he instructed Virgil "Act like we are friends and we planned to meet."

Standing up, Virgil smiled and exclaimed "It's about time you got here, I thought you were going to stand me up!" Under his breath he muttered "Who the hell are you?"

Both men sat down and proceeded to act like they were friends catching up on old times. "My name is Raines. I'm with the CIA. Your friend Sam Axe went to Panama with Michael Westen and others where they were killed. I know why you are in Miami."

Eyeing his companion suspiciously, he said "I'm here to say goodbye to my friend Sam and give him a proper send off."

Raines didn't accept his answer. "If you were here to celebrate his memory, then why did you break into Westen's loft and go through his things?"

Virgil had no answer. He glared at Raines, who began to explain himself further. "I will tell you why you are here. You think something is fishy with their deaths. You don't buy the official story one bit, do you? Well, neither do I. I'm here unofficially to see if you want to help me find out the truth. My civilian contacts in Panama have photographic proof they are still alive. Look at my phone and you'll see. While you look, tell me what you think about Tom Card. Smile and laugh like I told you a funny story."

Both men laughed. Still smiling, Virgil said "You are right. I don't buy it one bit. Tom Card sent them all on a suicide mission. I know it because Sam always complained about Card during the dealings he had with him recently. If Sam doesn't trust someone, I don't trust them. I told Michael's mom of my suspicions but she kicked me out of the house a few hours ago. I hope she doesn't call Card and tell him what I said to her."

"Card won't return anyone's calls since this happened. He's been locked away in his office. Let's get over to the Westen house and talk to Michael's mom together. She's going to be a big part of finding out the truth." Raines said as he got up and left cash on the table for Virgil's drinks. "You mind driving? I need to make a phone call. We'll come back later for my car."

A few minutes later, Maddie was sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of bourbon in one hand while she flipped through a photo album of Michael and Nate when they were children. A knock on her door jarred her from the memories of her two fallen boys.

"May I help you?" she asked to the man in the suit that stood before her.

"Yes. I'm with the CIA. My name is Agent Raines. I used to work with Michael. May I come inside?" Raines asked.

Madeline stepped aside as Raines walked into the house, with Virgil right behind him. "Virgil, I told you to leave my house. What are you doing here?" she screamed.

Raines held up a his cell phone. "Mrs. Westen, I'm going to be quick about this. I have proof Michael and the others are alive. They are in Panama right now, trying to get back home. I will show you the photographic proof I have that they are alive. I have eyes on the ground in Panama for another mission and they recognized Michael. If you believe me that they are alive, I'd like you to help me bring Michael and the others home. If not, Virgil and I will leave. Your choice."

Folding her arms, Maddie huffed "How do I know there are real and not older pictures, maybe from another mission?"

"Just look at the pictures Maddie. Why would we be here if he was lying? I would never bring such lies into your home after what you've going through." Virgil responded.

She took the phone from Raines and gasped. Flipping through the pictures of the group, she began to cry at the last picture. "Oh Michael!" she cried out. "He looks tired and hurt. What do I have to do to bring my baby home?"

With gritted teeth, Maddie added "No one messes with my family and lives to tell about it."

Virgil let out a hoot, while Raines pulled up some information on his cell phone. "Time to get to work guys, we have a long fight ahead of us."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N~Thanks for reading! Much love to Amanda & Noelle for reading and helping me along! Much love to my Twitter gals and to all you readers!

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The group traveled for what felt like hours, only stopping for water, if someone thought they heard or saw something around them that could have been cause for concern. They were all scraped and scratched from walking through the jungles of Panama, trying hard to stay off the main roads. The team finally arrived at their new lodging which appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. Once inside the team collapsed on the floor, thankful to be resting after walking for several hours.

After a brief rest, Sam got up and began looking through desks and cabinets. Jesse watched Sam as he pulled tools from a drawer, examined them and put some aside. "Sam, what are you doing?" Jesse finally asked.

Sam answered while still examining tools. "I'm looking for anything to give us an edge."

Fiona, who had been resting with Michael, leapt to her feet and began shouting at Sam "An edge? Sam, are you insane? There is no edge to be had. We are stranded in Panama. We have no connections, no money, no supplies and almost no weapons. Card knows by now that we weren't in that wreckage. We are now on the run from the CIA, the FBI and God knows who else."

"Do not yell at me. I know what we are up against. We need to find anything at all, no matter how small it is, that will help us stay alive long enough to get us back into the States." Sam shouted back at Fiona. "I've been in more of these situations than you have, so I think I know what I'm doing."

Fiona ran her hands through her hair. As she watched Sam take a hammer from the table and place it in his back, she asked in frustrated tone "What good is a hammer? Are you bringing nails so you can hammer someone to a tree?"

"Fi, would you shut up? The hammer can be used at close range, can be thrown at someone or to fix a car if we ever find one. So why don't you make yourself useful and help me find anything we can carry with us for weaponry or possible car repairs? If you can't help me, then make yourself useful by staying out of my way!"

Michael, who was pacing back and forth in their new home, quickly ran and grabbed Fiona when he saw her lunge at Sam. Whispering in her ear, he said "Stand down Fi."

Jesse, who was closer to Sam, placed his hand on Sam's chest to hold him back. Sam shouted "Come on little girl, you want to fight?"

"ENOUGH! We can't afford to be fighting. We fight, we become divided and we are no longer a team. If you want to fight, save it for Miami. Otherwise both of you calm down and let's all think of a way to get ourselves back home." Jesse said in a stern voice. "Mike you must have a plan of some sort. I know you might not be up to it but you have to give us some ideas. You were the one who saw this place with the binoculars, why did you pick it?"

As Michael let go of Fiona's arm and watched her stomp off to the opposite side of the room, Michael explained "I chose this place because on the other side of the building there is a truck. I don't know if it runs, but thought it would be worth a look. Fi, help me with the truck while Jesse walks around the perimeter and makes sure no one is around. Sam, stay here and sort through stuff. Odds are we can find useful stuff here."

Michael grabbed Fiona's elbow and guided her outside to the truck he saw. Once they were outside he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I know you are worried, but I need you to remain calm. You can't fall apart on me, I need you too much right now." Michael said as he opened the hood of the rusty green truck. Fiona turned the ignition when Michael told her, but it would not start. As Michael tinkered under the hood, Jesse ran up.

"Mike, I need you and Fiona to come check out what I found. I think I found something better than this old car." Jesse said, wiping sweat from his brow. Michael closed the hood and told Jesse to go inside and tell Sam to stay where he was and they'll be back soon.

Once Jesse came back, they followed him along a path. Hidden by trees and bushes, they looked upon a group of men with guns standing around. They were guarding what looked like an airplane hanger.

"What am I looking at Jesse?" Michael asked as he scanned the area.

Jesse pointed in the general direction of a shiney large black SUV. "I think if we either move fast and jump in, hoping the keys are inside or if there are no keys one of us makes a distraction while someone hotwires the car."

Michael was quiet for too long. Fiona cleared her throat and asked "What do you think of his plan Michael?"

"I like it, but we need a lot of firepower which we don't have." Michael had been watching the workers mill about in front of him. He pointed to his left and said "That side of the building isn't guarded well. The men seem to forget about that area or there's nothing to guard down there. Jesse and I will go and see if we can sneak in and find guns. Fi, go get Sam and tell him we need to hurry. If we find something, then Jesse and I will get them from behind while you and Sam get in the vehicle. Do what you need to start the engine"

Fiona shook her head. "No. Send Jesse back for Sam and I'll go in with you. I can run just as fast as Jesse and I can run lower to the ground if they start shooting."

Michael took Fiona's hand in his and said "If we get caught, they are either going to torture us or kill us as soon as we are caught. If they catch you..." Michael's paused as he tried to push away the terrible thoughts that entered his head. "If they catch you, they will make you their plaything and then kill you. I'm not going to give them the opportunity to touch or hurt you. Go get Sam." Michael waved to Jesse signaling him to follow him.

Fiona tried to follow but Jesse gently held her back. He said "You know he's right. They would have their with you and none of us could live with that. I promise I'll keep him alive."

"You better or else I'll kill you myself." Fiona said in a low tone. Once Jesse was gone, Fiona sprinted back along the path, screaming Sam's name.

Coming out of the building, Sam asked Fiona "What's wrong, where are Mikey and Jesse?" Sam had a bad feeling in the bottom of his stomach. "Do not tell me you guys came across something and he's being a cowboy right now."

"Sam, there's another garage type building at the end of the path. Jesse saw an SUV and now Michael and Jesse are trying to invade the place without weapons. We have to go or else they are going to get themselves killed." Fiona said, running into the building and grabbing the bags that Sam was filling with tools and their limited weaponry. Sam followed her in and helped her with the bags. "He said you and I are to get into the SUV and I'll hot-wire it. If we have to, we can use our weapons and provide support from the front."

Sam followed Fiona to the start of the path, both of them carrying several large bags. "Fi, why did you let him go? You should have gone with them. I would have figured it out and caught up to you guys."

With tears in her eyes, Fiona whipped around and said "Don't you think I tried to go with Michael. I wanted to send Jesse back for you, but Michael wouldn't hear of it. He said if they get caught they will either be tortured or killed but if I got captured it would be a lot worse and he couldn't deal with that thought."

"Let's go back up Mike and Jesse. They are going to need us." Sam said as he gently nudged Fiona onward. He knew Michael was right, but this was the most hair-brained idea Michael had ever had in his life. "How could Michael rush into this without waiting for backup?" Sam thought to himself. He had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well, but he kept his feelings locked away so Fiona wouldn't worry even more that she already was.

Sam and Fiona arrived at the spot where Jesse thought they would have the best shot at running for the car. Setting her bags down, Fiona pointed to the section to the left of her and said "That's where they were going to try gaining entry. I don't hear gunshots, screams or fighting, so I'm guessing they are ok."

Scanning the situation, Sam agreed. "Did they give you a signal so we could know when to go?" When Fiona said no, Sam said through gritted teeth "Damn it Mikey. Fi, you know he didn't plan this out well, If it turns out bad, and we take on heavy gunfire, we have to go without them. We need to at least get a car then come back at night for them. I know you don't agree, but if they get captured, there is no safe way to rescue them in daylight. Right now, we need to focus on the car. I have enough rounds to hopefully cover you until we can start the car. If you have to hotwire it, I'll stay outside the car. Start it, slide over and we'll go from there."

Fiona pulled her hair up into a bun, wiped tears from her eyes and said "Let's do this. We can't leave him in there for long."

Inside the building, Jesse and Michael quietly looked around and began grabbing guns and ammunition. Jesse took a set of car keys that he hoped belonged to the SUV. Michael came over to Jesse and said "Take these guns and go back out to where we were before. Sam and Fi should be there. Give them the guns and get in the car. I'll be right behind you, I just need grab a few more things before we leave."

"No man. I told Fiona that I'd keep you safe. You have to leave with me." Jesse said.

"I'll be fine. I have a gun so if anything happens, I'll be ok. Get to Sam and Fiona. Your job is to keep Fiona safe until I get into the SUV." Michael said.

"You be careful or else Fiona will have my head."

Jesse took what he could and ran out of the building. He spotted Sam and Fiona getting ready to make a run for the SUV. "Fi, I found these car keys." Jesse said throwing them at Fiona.

"Where's Michael? He should be with you." Fiona said in a panicked tone.

Jesse handed guns to Fiona and Sam. "Mike said he'd be along in a minute. He wanted to grab some more stuff before we go. His instructions were for us to get into the SUV and start it. He should be joining us by then."

Sam could tell Fiona was going to fly off the handle. He took her arm in his hand and gently tugged her back towards him. "Ok. Let's go get in the car."

As they ran to the car, gunshots rang out. Fiona opened the car door and jumped into the drivers seat, trying the keys Jesse gave her. Luckily, they worked and the car started up. Sliding over, Jesse jumped in and was followed by Sam. Bullets bounced off the windshield. As Sam put the car in drive, he heard Fiona scream "MICHAEL!" Sam looked and saw that Michael was being dragged off by two guards. Sam slammed his hand against the steering wheel and drove off.

"We have to go back. We have to save him! They are going to kill him Sam." Fiona cried.

Jesse shook his head. "Fi, we need to be realistic. This isn't good but they won't kill him. We have their car and their weapons. Let's get away and then we'll figure this out how to get him back."

Fiona closed her eyes and silently cried as Sam sped off to safety.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam, Fi and Jesse waited until later in the day to invade the warehouse that housed Michael and his captors.

"Fi, you are the driver. When we go inside, keep the motor running and we'll bring Mike here and we'll leave" Sam said.

"No! I am going with you. He needs me and I can provide distractions if needed. Make Jesse drive." Fiona argued.

"Fiona, you need to drive." Sam barked, this time his voice harder and firmer.

Fiona tried to argue further but Sam slammed his fist on the hood of the car. "You want to know the real reason? If he is in there and he's dead, then that is something you shouldn't be seeing and I don't want you to see that. We have no idea what condition he is in and the last thing I need is you finding him dead. Now just do what I ask and drive the damned car!".

Fiona's nostrils flared as she grabbed the keys and moved into the car. She glared at him the whole time she sat there.

"You know she is going to kill you, right? Even Mike would catch hell for yelling at her like that " Jesse said.

Sam stood watching the building, trying to figure how best they should invade. "I need Fiona to be angry with me so she doesn't focus solely on her worry for Mikey."

As they stood and watched, the team's jaws dropped in horror when they heard a loud deep howl emerge from where Michael was.

Sam knew Fiona heard and the same thing he did. He turned around and looked at her. Seeing that she was trying hard to keep her composure, he went over to talk to her. As he opened his mouth to try and alleviate her fears, there was another scream. The scream, worse than before, ripped through Sam's head and he knew surely through Fiona's heart. Before Sam could tell Fiona they were going inside, she reached through the window and banged his head against the car door. He fell back and before Jesse or he could stop her, she was running full force towards where Michael's screams were coming from.

Fiona hid behind some crates as she watched for Sam and Jesse to come and back her up. Once they arrived, Sam signaled silently that Jesse should run to the next group of crates and provide them with cover.

They moved silently as Jesse provided cover, slowly inching up on the bay door Sam thought to be their best chance of entry. As they neared the door, Sam caught sight of Michael. He watched as Michael's captors grabbed him by his short hair and yanked his head back. The men all spoke spanish and Sam knew Michael didn't understand. They seemed to ask Michael a question to which he didn't know the answer. Sam winced as they took a club and struck him across the shins and on occasion the chest.

As Fiona and Jesse assembled the weapons they needed, Sam kept watching. When they came at Michael with what Sam saw to be a cattle prod, he bent down and quickly covered Fiona's ears, hoping to spare her the sound of Michael being tortured. Sam got up, and judging by the scream, this time being the longest exposure to the current since his capture. Michael noticed Sam watching. He slowly shook his head and made a motion with his head that Sam had taught him in Poland to signal when a situation was bad. Michael rolled his head in a circular motion indicating they needed to move on, without him.

Jesse saw Michael's head movements. "Sam, that's a signal. A head roll, does that me we should move out?"

"He wants us to move on..." Sam started to say before Fiona cut him off.

"We aren't leaving him behind. He's right there. We have guns so I can easily take them from a distance while you two go in and get Michael." hissed Fiona.

Jesse was quick to agree. "If Fi can quickly shoot at least half of the guys in there, that'll be enough of a diversion. We take out the guys she doesn't get, grab Mike and head back to the car."

Sam studied the scene in front of him. He knew Michael couldn't last much longer and that Michael knew it too. Michael's breathing was labored, he most likely had broken bones from being beaten and the pain from the cattle prod was probably exhausting him. His muscles wouldn't be as strong and he might not even be able to move much from the pain. However hard it would be to get Michael out, Sam knew he couldn't leave his brother behind. "Jesse, be prepared because once we get him free, I think he's going to be dead weight. Don't worry about hurting him while we bring him to the car. Just get him to the car."

Turning to Fiona, Sam gave her orders. He pointed to the men she was to shoot. "Once you shoot them, run back to the car and start it up. As soon as Mikey's in the car, you are getting us the hell out of here. Understand?"

Fiona nodded. As she placed her gun between two crates, she said "Let's do this." She slid over to where Sam was standing, hoping Michael would catch sight of her. He looked in her direction and smiled slightly as he closed his eyes. Fiona heard men yelling at him as they began to hit him with a baton. Fiona quickly ducked back into her spot. "He knows we are here. I'm going to start shooting, so start running. You do not get into the car unless he's with you or else I will put a bullet into each of your skulls. Understand?"

"Crystal clear sister. On Fi's count Jesse, we are going." Sam said as he got into position.

Jesse grabbed his gun and waited for Fiona's countdown. "1, 2, 3...GO!"

Fiona's first shot was a large man who had been administering the shocks to Michael's body and beating him. Next, Fiona took out the people closest to Michael, while providing cover for Sam and Jesse. She took a second to reload her weapon, but felt as if someone was coming up behind her. Whipping around, Fiona saw two men approaching her, firing their weapons. They tried to shoot her but she managed to shoot them in the head, stopping both of them. Quickly she grabbed their weapons and ammo as she headed off to the car.

Inside the warehouse, Sam and Jesse took out the rest of the team that Fiona wasn't able to immobilize. Sam got to Michael first and began to untie his arms, which hung limply at his side. When Sam untied Michael's legs, he looked up at Michael and saw that Michael was trying to keep his eyes open. He was mumbling repeatedly "Go...Fi"

"Fiona is fine. She's waiting for us with a car, so we are going to have to move fast. Jesse's here and we are going to carry you, but I need you to stay awake." Seeing Michael up close broke Sam's heart. Sam and Jesse pulled Michael up, linking their arms with his and told him "Try and walk with us."

As soon as Michael put pressure on his right leg, he screamed in agonizing pain and nearly collapsed. Jesse held onto Michael, telling him "Do not put pressure on the right leg. We'll try our best not to bang you up bad."

Michael nodded and started to say something as they began moving. Neither of them could understand what he was saying until he shouted Fiona's name. They didn't stop until they saw Fiona sitting in the car waiting for the men to arrive.

Sam climbed into the backseat, pulling Michael inside with him. "See Fi, I told you we would get him out! He has a broken leg and is exhausted." Sam said as placed his arms under Michael's so he could position him in the seat. Jesse tried his best to keep Michael's right leg from hitting anything, but managed to touch it against the car seat. Michael let out a loud scream, while Jesse got in the front seat next to Fiona.

Fiona shifted the car into drive at the perfect moment. Jesse spotted several armed men running after the car and shooting. He shouted at Fiona "Floor it!" while he pulled his gun out and fired at the attackers. Once they were out of sight, Jesse put his gun away.

"We did it! We are ok Brother" Sam said triumphantly to Michael, who leaned against Sam. "Close your eyes Mikey and rest. We'll be someplace safe soon enough where I can fix up that leg and maybe we can all have a drink before we plan out our next move."

Michael nodded as his eyes closed. Before he passed out from a combination of exhaustion and excruciating pain, he said weakly "Fi...is...ok?"

She tried her best to hide her tears as she drove the car down the dirt roads. "I'm here Michael. I'm ok. The boys voted that I'm the best driver, so I'm going to get us somewhere safe and then I'll take care of you."

She smiled as she looked in the rear view mirror and was relieved when Michael gave her a weak smile before sleep claimed him. "So where are we going?"

"I need place for us to stay while I fix Mikey up and there has to be a bar near us. I don't have anything for his pain so he's either going to have to drink enough alcohol to take the edge off the pain or ride out the pain as it hits him. Knowing he doesn't drink much, we might have to just let him go through the pain. Maybe I can find a doctor who will give me some pain meds for cash." Sam said. "We'll be ok."

After driving for almost an hour, Jesse had Fiona pull over at a tavern. Fiona looked back at Sam, who was checking Michael's pulse. "How is he?"

"His pulse is weak, but that's to be expected. He called for you from the moment we got him until we arrived at the car. He gets beaten and abused, but he's still worried about his girl. He may not say it, but he loves you Fi" Sam said, hoping Fiona wouldn't hear his voice cracking.

"And I love him. Here comes Jesse." Fiona said, wiping the tears from her face.

He opened the car door and said "I talked to the bar owner and explained we have a sick friend and we need a place to stay until he's better. I threw some money his way and he said there's an abandoned hotel not far from the bar. He can hook us up with alcohol and the name of a doctor who works under the table. Inside the hotel, there might be some homeless people in there, but everyone keeps to themselves."

"Sounds like we have a plan! Jesse, you take over driving and Fi can go to the hotel and find a place away from everyone so if he needs to scream, no one will care." Sam ordered.

Fiona reached over and took Michael's hand in hers and spoke loudly, hoping he heard her. "Michael, I'm going to get us a place to stay. I'll be waiting for you, so don't be long."

Sam and Jesse carried Michael into the hotel, being mindful of his broken leg. They found the rooms Fiona had deemed suitable for Michael's recovery. Once he was placed on the bed, Fiona climbed in bed next to him. He rolled into her, holding onto her waist.

"Jesse and I are going to get some alcohol and supplies. We'll be back soon." Sam said. As they shut the door behind them, Sam heard Fiona singing an Irish song to Michael.

At the bar, Jesse bought bottles of alcohol from the bar owner. Sam asked "Do you have a phone that I could borrow? Maybe a cell phone or a land-line?"

The owner of the bar pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Sam. Jesse watched Sam dial a number on the phone. "Mrs Angeletti, I am so glad I caught you. I'm Maddie Westen's cousin and I'm worried about her. I wonder if you could keep me on the phone while you go across the the street and check on Maddie? I tried calling her but there was no answer!"

Jesse was going to talk but Sam held his hand up to his face. A minute later Sam's eyes opened wide. "Maddie! Its Sam. I can't explain a lot but do not trust Tom Card. He sent us here on a suicide mission. We are working on getting home and bringing Card down but I cannot tell you enough to not trust Card. Above all, do not tell him or anyone that I called or that we are alive."

Jesse grew worried as as the conversation grew longer. He watched Sam's face go from worried to confused. When the call was over, Sam placed the phone on the bar and sat down. "Tell me what happened Sam. Something is going on, isn't it?"

Sam nodded. "Virgil is with Maddie and so is Raines. I talked to Raines and he said to sit tight, they know about Card and they will take care of him and then come for us."

Jesse could tell Sam was going through a thousand scenarios in his head on what could be happening. He tried to refocus Sam by saying "Dude, we have to get back to Fiona and Mike. We need to fix that leg. The longer we wait, the worse it gets."

Sam nodded and stood up. "Let's go take care of Michael. He's our main priority right now." He left some extra cash on the bar and grabbed the bottles and supplies Jesse had bought from the owner, hoping that the team back home could help because in Michael's state, no one was going anywhere.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N...I'm back! After a slight bout of depression, I'm better. I wrote this but never put it up. I'll slowly finish this up, so just bear with me! Thanks to everyone for being so understanding! Love you all & don't know what I'd do without you all!

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Jesse sat at the bar talking to the bar's owner. Jesse and Fiona spoke Spanish the best, but Fiona was refusing to leave Michael's side unless absolutely necessary, so Jesse said he would scout out the town for a doctor. Jesse asked the owner "Do you know any doctors who work...discretely?"

"Discretely? Why do you need a doctor?" the owner questioned as he dried glasses and set them down on the bar.

"Remember my friend, the one who is sick? We just want to get him checked out. Maybe get him something for the pain. We are willing to pay cash." Jesse said.

The owner paused then said "Ok. Go back to the hotel. I will contact someone today and have him sent over."

Jesse walked out of the bar and into the street. He saw some business men standing nearby discussing something heatedly. Jesse bumped into a shorter one and nearly knocked him down. The man was angry that Jesse nearly toppled him. Jesse, apologized and smoothed out the man's dress jacket and quickly walked away.

Once back inside the hotel room, Jesse pulled out a wallet. He announced "There will be a doctor coming here today to look at Mike and I got us some extra money." Jesse pulled out the wallet and took the out the cash. "We might have to resort to a little thievery to get by while we are stuck. How's Mike?"

Sam sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. "He's in a lot of pain and he won't take the alcohol. He's insisting he's ok, but his knuckles are white from holding onto the sheets. Poor Fi is probably bruised from when he grabs her when the pain spikes."

"I'll take over for Fiona and make her rest. You rest too. When the doctor comes, we all might need to restrain him so the doctor can check his injuries. He doesn't like outsiders but we have no choice this time." Sam said.

Sam went into the room where Fiona was sitting on the bed, with Michael's head in her lap. He stood there watching her run her fingers through his black hair while she hummed a soft song hoping it would comfort Michael. Sam cleared his throat and spoke softly. "Fi, Jesse found a doctor for Mikey. He'll be stopping by today. Jesse and I both agree that you need to rest. One of us will sit with him, so you don't have to worry about him being alone. Don't argue, just go and rest. I'm begging you to take a break. He'll be ok."

"Sam, its sweet that you both want me to rest, but I have to take care of him. I'm fine. I catch some sleep here and there." Fiona said.

"Fi...please. We need you to rest because when the doctor comes, you probably have to work the hardest out of all of us trying to get him to relax and comfort him until we can get him something for the pain." Sam said, reaching out for Fiona's hand and hoping she would take it so he could pull her from the bed.

Fiona leaned over and told Michael "The boys are being silly and making me rest. I'm going to humor them so they don't get upset. Sam will stay with you." Fiona slowly made her way off the bed. Before she left she gave Michael a kiss and said "Be good for Sam."

As Fiona passed him, Sam took her hand and said "He'll be ok. I won't leave him alone."

Sam got on the bed, sitting with his back against the headboard. He placed a hand on Michael's head and said "We'll be ok. A doctor is coming to fix you up and the cavalry will be here soon. We just have to hang on a bit longer. You will be buying me mojitos at Carlito's before you know it.".

Michael let out a groan and tried to get comfortable. "Cavalry? No one is coming."

"I called your mom on a secure line. Told her not to trust Card. Virgil and Raines are there with her. They are coming for us, but I need you to stay strong. I can't handle Fi on my on my own, though. I need you better so you can help me keep her in line."

Michael let out a soft laugh before his breathing quickened and a wave of pain hit him. He clenched his jaw and tried his best to not let the pain win, but was dragged back into darkness once again, praying Sam was right about someone coming to help.

* * *

Maddie, Virgil and Raines sat in a car outside of Card's office.

"Are we all clear on our jobs?" Raines asked.

"I go in and cry to Card about Michael. I am going to beg him to let me see Michael's file. I will get him out of the office while you and Virgil go into his office and plant the bug." Maddie said. She ruffled her undone hair and smudged her eyeliner to make it look as if she was crying. "I have to keep him out of his office for five minutes."

"Exactly. Once we plant the bug, my men will be listening to everything he says. I am counting on him slipping up when he is alone." Raines said.

Virgil looked uncomfortable. "Maybe it'd be better if i went with Maddie. I don't like the thought of her being alone with that snake. Do you really need me to help you?"

Raines took a moment to think. "Mrs. Westen, you need to be absolutely hysterical. Virgil, pull Card aside and ask if she can just have a few minutes alone with Michael's files. Make something up, just get me five minutes alone."

The team got out of the car. Maddie and Virgil entered the building and went to Card's office. When they arrived, Card was talking to his secretary outside his office. "Mrs. Westen, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Maddie closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before talking. Imagining the pain that Michael and the others must be experiencing, feeling hunted and alone, she let the tears fall from her eyes. "I thought that since you let me see Nate's file, you could be so wonderful to let me see Michael's file too."

Card shifted uneasily. "I am so sorry Mrs. Westen, but Michael's file is closed. I can't let you see an agent's file."

"What do you mean? You told me that you loved him like a son. I just want to see my son's file. I don't understand..." Maddie said, dissolving into tears.

Virgil took Maddie into his arms and begged Card "Just give her five minutes alone with Mike's file. She has this idea that he is alive and I thought that maybe if we came here you could help me put that idea to bed. She is overcome with grief from losing so many people so fast."

Card looked at the weeping woman in Virgil's arms and said "Let's go. I can give you five minutes but that's it."

The three of them walked off to the file room. Once inside, Tom took the file from the drawer. "You know, your son was an honorable soldier. All he wanted to do was to avenge his brother's death. I can assure you, he is gone as are the others. It was a quick and painless death. He didn't suffer but there is no way he could have survived." Card placed a hand on Madeline's shoulder as she quietly wept.

One he was out of the room, Maddie started to look through the file. "That man is so slimy. I need to take a shower when we get home." Virgil quickly pulled the file cabinet open and started looking through the drawer.

"How did you open that? It automatically locks when you shut it. I tried to open it when i got to look at Nate's file. "

Virgil smiled as he pulled out a device and quickly ran it along several pages in a file. "He turned his back as he shut it. I stuck a paper clip in the lock to keep it open."

"What is that gizmo in your hand? " Maddie questioned as she watched Virgil.

"This, my dear, is a copier. When we leave, Raines can print this out and use it against Card." Virgil paused as he read the papers in the file he found. "Maddie, he has four death certificates on file for Michael with different dates." Virgil finished scanning the paperwork and put it away and locked the drawer. "Card is coming, I hear him walking. It's showtime Maddie." He said.

On cue, Maddie looked at the file and started to cry as Card walked into the room. "I guess he really is dead. Thank you for letting me look at the file. I want you to know he loved you like a father." Maddie said, covering her face and running from the room. Virgil chased after her as Card watched them get on the elevator.

Once he was back in his office, Card sat down and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "Tell me that you found them. They couldn't have gotten far and Westen is seriously injured. Don't make excuses. Just find them and take care of them. They all should have been disposed of years ago when we had the chance." Card slammed the phone down as he looked at a map on his wall. "Where the hell are you son?" he wondered out loud.

As Virgil and Maddie got into the car where Raines was waiting for them, Virgil handed Raines his scanner. "On here you have extra death certificates. None filed, but had random dates on it. It was tucked away with another file."

Before Raines could respond to Virgil, his phone rang. "You have got to be kidding me. Keep listening. I am moving now, but I will call you when I'm stationery." he said the the person who called him.

"What was that?" Maddie asked.

"That was one of my men who I have listening to all Card's calls. Card got a call on his cell and he basically told the caller that they need to find Michael and the others and kill them. Sounded like he's been trying to do this for a while now."

"Well, lets go in and bust his head open. What are we waiting for?" Maddie shouted.

Raines sighed heavily. "I know you want to make him pay but we need more. We will keep listening, get more evidence and maybe we can even figure out where they are in Panama. Michael might be injured but he's in good hands. Axe will improvise if Michael needs medical attention. Virgil can drive while I call an old friend who hopefully can find them and get them medical help."

Handing the keys to Virgil, Raines dialed his phone. "Peterson! You old bag of bones, its Raines! I have a huge favor to ask of you and I am willing to pay triple your going rate. I have a group of Americans who have an injured person with them. I need you to find them and tend to them. Then I need you to tell me where they are located. I'm going to have one of my men call you and give you some leads on where they might be. Only call me on this phone number. I know its a secure line."

He ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket. Seeing that both Maddie and Virgil were looking at him with questioning eyes, Raines explained "Peterson is an asset of mine. If anyone can find your son, Peterson can. He's also a very good doctor so he can get them help if needed."

Maddie glared at Raines. "If anything happens to Michael and the others because this asset is not as good as you say he is, I will be coming for you once I finish with Card."

Raines gulped, knowing that Michael's mother would hold true to her word. He hoped Peterson could find them in Panama. Looking out the window as Virgil drove, he quickly said a prayer for Peterson and began to plan on how to get Michael and the rest of the group home quietly and safely.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N...I don't know much about medicine...maybe just from ER! Enjoy!

* * *

Sitting at the bar, Javier Peterson sat nursing a drink. Once the owner sat next to him, he took a big swig from the glass and turned his head to talk to the owner. "I need your help buddy. A medical job has come my way, but I don't know where to start."

"You need my help? Aren't you the one who has the medical degree?"

Peterson laughed. "True, but you know the secrets of the town. If I was looking for four Americans, one of whom might be hurt, where would I look? You haven't you heard anything about a group like this, have you?"

The owner looked at him shocked. "I was going to tell you that there are four Americans who need a doctor. How did you know?"

"I am psychic! What can I say?" Peterson said. "If I was looking to help the group of Americans, where would I look?

"I sent them down the street to where the old Hotel De Seville was. There is a tall bald man who speaks for the group." the owner said.  
Peterson handed the owner money for his drink. "There is a nice amount of money I can give to you, as long as you keep quiet about the group." The owner nodded and quickly put the money in his pocket.

He left the bar and headed to the hotel. Looking in several rooms, Peterson didn't find the group. After looking in the fifth room, he heard a gun cocking behind him.

"I would move really slow, if you don't want me to blow your head off. Who are you and why are you here?" Sam asked.

Peterson turned around. "You are Sam Axe. I was told that you might be a little trigger happy. I just didn't expect you to try and shoot me before I got to see your friend."

Sam pulled the gun back and eyed Peterson suspiciously. "So, tell me how you know me, who sent you and why?"

"I have a mutual associate, Raines, he called me and asked me to find a group of Americans. You are Sam Axe, right? He said that even though you are older, you are pretty strong. He told me that someone in your group is hurt but he didn't know how badly."

Sam continued to eye him suspiciously. "How do I know you are a doctor? Did your medical degree come as a prize in a cereal box?"

"I will have you know that I am thirty-nine and I got my degree in California. I graduated early from high school, college and med school." Peterson said with a scowl on his face.

Sam pointed to his backpack. "Let me see what's in your bag."

Peterson took off the backpack and opened it for Sam to look through. "I have bandages, antibiotics, creams, salves, pain meds and some tools if I have to set a bone quickly without a cast or do some fast surgery." Seeing that Sam was still skeptical of him, Peterson said loudly "If you want me to look at your friend, I will. If you don't, I will leave. I won't even tell Raines where you are hiding."

Putting his gun down, Sam sighed and said "Come see my friend. He's in a lot of pain." Sam began to walk down the hall and Peterson followed. He stopped short and put an hand on Peterson's chest. "You do anything to hurt my friend, there are three of us who will kill you and bury your body where no one will ever find you. Understand?"

Peterson nodded. Once inside the room, he walked over to Michael. Seeing he was semi-conscious, Peterson announced loudly "Westen, I heard that you weren't feeling good. I'm a doctor. I am going to take a look at you and try to make you feel better. You are going to feel pain from me poking around but after I figure out what's wrong, I am going to give you pain meds and you will get some sleep." Peterson said shining a light in Michael's eyes.

"Axe, grab his arms. I need you to immobilize them so I can check his ribs and chest." Looking across the room he saw Jesse in the doorway with Fiona. "Big bald guy, you must be Porter. Grab his legs and hold them so I don't get kicked."

Jesse looked at Sam questioningly. "Who is this and why are we holding Michael down?"

Sam looked at him and said "He is a doctor. I told him he will be buried someplace no one will find him if he doesn't take care of Mikey properly.

Fiona, hearing an unfamiliar voice, entered the room. "You must be Glenanne. Raines told me Westen's gal would be with the group. I need you to keep him calm. The calmer you can get him, the faster I can do this."

Fiona looked at Sam and Jesse. Before she could raise any concerns she might have, Sam told Fiona "It's ok. I checked him out, no weapons and I will personally let you kill him if he steps out of line."

Fiona leaned into Michael's ear and whispered to him. He let Sam and Jesse hold him down while Fiona distracted him. "Let this guy check you out. It's going to hurt but I am here. Focus on me. Remember that horrible knife fight we got involved with in Belfast? I think I was the worst patient ever. Remember I punched that nurse in the doctor's office where you got me help?"

As Peterson felt Michael's ribcage, Michael got his hands free and punched Peterson square in the jaw. As Michael hollered in pain, Peterson continued his exam. Michael continued to fight against being restrained. Finally Fiona had enough and said "Michael, stop being difficult. I know this hurts but you need to let the doctor examine you. If you don't behave, I swear I will make Sam sleep with you until you are better and you will not know the warmth of a female for a long time."

Michael stopped fighting and let the doctor finish his exam. He gave Michael a shot for the pain and talked quietly to Sam and Jesse in the room. Fiona stayed with Michael.

Peterson began to give the results of his exam. "He has several broken ribs, random burns from what I think is a cattle prod, bruising and cuts. The good news is his lungs are strong, his reactions to pain and light are both strong, and I think once he sleeps a bit, he'll be talking more. The bad news is that I think his leg has a hairline fracture. I am going to immobilize the leg and tomorrow I will come by with a cast. He can't walk until I set it."

"Thanks doc." Sam said.

"Do you want me to tell Raines where you are? He is going to call me later and he'll want to know if I found you. If you don't want me to, I won't say anything." Sensing their hesitation, Peterson added "Talk it over. I will be back in the morning to put him in a cast."

While the men discussed Michael's care while they were stuck in the hotel, Fiona kicked her shoes off and pulled Michael into her arms, being careful to not hurt his ribs. He groaned into Fiona's chest as he tried to get comfortable. "Find your spot, find your spot" she repeated softly, letting her Irish accent creep into voice. She would always try and settle him with that soft phrase whenever he was being restless in his sleep.

"Raines, tell them to send for Raines." Michael said. He let out a muffled cry and said "I can't get us out of this. I can't save you. I need to get you home. I can fight Card better in the States."

Fiona could tell Michael was getting agitated and was trying to fight the pain killer he was given. "Don't worry about saving me. I just need you to get better. Close your eyes and sleep. I promise I will tell the boys you want to get home. It will be ok." Fiona said, letting a tear fall down her cheek.

As she wiped the tear from her face, Sam walked into the room and asked "How is he?"

"He wants you to have Raines come for us. He's upset he can't get us out of this and he thinks he can fight Card best on American soil." Fiona said, wiping more tears from her face. "He's tired Sam. He needs to sleep for a bit."

Sam looked at Fiona, whose limbs were wrapped protectively and gently around Michael. "You get some sleep too sister. You need to keep your strength to care for Michael when he wakes up."

Fiona took Sam's advice and closed her eyes, allowing herself to be lulled asleep by Michael's soft breathing.

Sam walked out, giving Michael and Fiona some privacy. He found Jesse sitting in the other room they took over and sat next to him. "Fi says Mikey wants Raines to get us out of here and then he will work on bringing down Card."

Jesse asked "How do you feel about that? I mean we can keep our heads down and just keep driving and maybe find a plane or a boat back to the States. Fi and I can pickpocket to get cash."

"Jesse, its an incredibly long drive and we have a stolen car. With his injuries and from what I see in the other room, Mikey is in a whole other world of pain right now. We can't get far with him like this. I think we need to consider having Raines help. Let Michael sleep the rest of today and we can decide in the morning when the doctor comes." Sam said. "We are all tired and Mikey has finally hit a wall. He needs sleep, even if for a few hours. Let's worry about getting Mikey better and getting the hell out of here somehow."

The next morning the team was woken up by Peterson. Michael was a little more alert and talkative. "How did you know we were here?" Michael asked.

"Raines called me. I am what he likes to call an asset. He recruited me when I was in college. He helped me hone my skill-set and the CIA threw some money my way to offset the cost of college. I just had to keep getting good grades, which I did and assist with cases now and then. Now he throws special medical cases my way and I assist." Javier explained as he set Michael's leg in a cast.

Michael shifted in the bed, trying to get comfortable. "How did you end up in Panama?"

Looking at Fiona, who was sitting next to Michael and holding his hand, Peterson answered "Love. I met my wife who was in California to visit family and after two days of being with her, I realized I couldn't be without her. So I graduated and flew out here to be with her. We've been married for 7 years now. I flew back and forth to finish med school."

Peterson asked, "How did you guys end up here?"

Noticing the darkness that came over Michael's face, Fiona answered "That is not something we are answering. Ask another question or be quiet."

"Ok. I apologize. I am done anyway." Peterson said, wiping his hands off. After giving Fiona some pain killers for Michael and instructions on his care, he asked "So, am I telling Raines where you all are?"

Fiona got up from the bed and walked across the hallway, bringing back Sam and Jesse. She asked them "Michael and I both agree that we should have Raines come for us. Do you agree?"

Peterson entered the room and said solemnly "Before you guys decide, just keep in mind that he has broken ribs on either side and that fracture I just set. He can't travel until tomorrow at the earliest. That gives whoever you are hiding from extra time. They will find you if you stay or try to travel on your own. You have to get out of here fast, judging by his wounds and all your attitudes."

Sam nodded and said "Fine, call Raines but I am not happy about this. It's Mike's mission and if he can't complete it, then we need to call in the big guns to help. I just hope we won't be screwed again like Card screwed us."

"Card, as in Tom Card? That son of a bitch is involved? You should have mentioned something to me before. I'm out of here." Peterson yelled as he backed his back and ran out the door.

"What was that about?" Sam asked.

Jesse put on his shoes and ran towards the door. "I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out."


End file.
